Masterpiece Theatre: Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy (TV Mini-Series 1986) - IMDb (Karachi, Pakistan) – See all my reviews Lord Mountbatten:The Last Viceroy is no doubt a very good film by any standards. Seeing that it follows the career of Lord Louis Mountbatten of Burma,later selected as the last viceroy of British India, it has a number of both strengths and flaws as far as the storyline & picturisation is concerned. STRENGTHS: 1) It portrays the character of Lord Louis from the political side, as far as all the world knows him. 2) Mentions the Nehru - Edwina affair as part of the complications surrounding the partition. 3) Shows the stubburnness of character which Mountbatten possessed. WEAKNESSES: 1) If it is a film following the life of Lord Mountbatten, why does the story end after the partition. Surely there is much more to Lord Moundbatten's life than just the India-Pakistan partition e.g., his death, his campaign as Supreme Naval Commander of S.E.Asia, how he handled the post of 1st Governor General of India.

2) The cast is superb, yet I fail to understand why Vladek Sheybal (a french guy) was given the role of Jinnah, and why not Alique Padamsee (the guy who played Jinnah in 'Gandhi'. Sheybal has neither the height nor the resemblance of Jinnah. 3) Mountbatten was much more arrogant and hard hearted towards Jinnah and the concept of Pakistan, than this film portrays. Overall, the story is otherwise well written. But if the script had been written on the basis of Philip Zeigler's biography of Mountbatten, then it would have been much better. On the whole, its well worth keeping in your collection because as time is passing, there are very few movies depicting the glorious and colourful spleandour of the British Empire. 11 of 18 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes British Viceroys in India | Palak Mathur British Viceroys in India Lord Canning History (1856 – 1862) : The last Governor General and the first Viceroy. Mutiny took place in his time.

On November, 1858, the rule passed on to the crown. Withdrew Doctrine of Lapse. The Universities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were established in 1857. Indian Councils Act was passed in 1861. Lord Elgin (1862 – 1863) Telegraphic communication was opened with Europe. High Courts were established at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1865. Expanded canal works and railways. Created the Indian Forest department. Lord Mayo History (1869 – 1872) : Started the process of financial decentralization in India. Established the Rajkot college at Kathiarwar and Mayo College at Ajmer for the Indian princes. For the first time in Indian history, a census was held in 1871. Organised the Statistical Survey of India. Was the only Viceroy to be murdered in office by a Pathan convict in the Andamans in 1872.

Lord Northbrook (1872 – 1876) : Lord Lytton (1876 – 1880) : Known as the Viceroy to reverse characters. Organised the Grand ‘Delhi Durbar’ in 1877 to decorate Queen Victoria with the title of ‘Kaiser I Hind’. Arms act (1878) made it mandatory for Indians to acquire license for arms. Passed the infamous Vernacular Press act (1878). Lord Ripon (1880 – 1884) : Passed the local self government act (1882) Took steps to improve primary & secondary education (on William Hunter Commission’s recommendations). The I Factory act, 1881, aimed at prohibiting child labour. Passed the libert Bill (1883) which enabled Indian district magistrates to try European criminals. But this was withdrawn later. Lord Dufferin (1884 – 1888) : Indian National Congress was formed during his tenure.

Lord Lansdowne (1888 – 1894) : II Factory act (1891) granted a weekly holiday and stipulated working hours for women and children, although it failed to address concerns such as work hours for men. Categorization of Civil Services into Imperial, Provincial and Subordinate. Indian Council act of 1892 was passed. Appointment of Durand Commission to define the line between British India and Afghanistan. Lord Elgin II (1894 – 1899) : Great famine of 1896 – 1897. Lyall Commission was appointed. Lord Curzon (1899 – 1905) : Passed the Indian Universities act (1904) in which official control over the Universities was increased. Partitioned Bengal (October 16, 1905) into two provinces Bengal (proper) & East Bengal & Assam. Appointed a Police Commission under Sir Andrew Frazer to enquire into the police administration of every province. The risings of the frontier tribes in 1897 – 98 led him to create the North Western Frontier Province (NWFP).

Passed the Ancient Monuments Protection act (1904), to restore India’s cultural heritage. Thus the Archaeological Survey of India was established. Passed the Indian Coinage and Paper Currency act (1899) and put India on a gold standard. Extended railways to a great extent. History of Lord Minto (1905 – 1910) : There was great political unrest in India. Various acts were passed to curb the revolutionary activities. Extremists like Lala Laipat Rai and Ajit Singh (in May, 1907) and Bal Gangadhar Tilak (in July, 1908) were sent to Mandalay jail in Burma. The Indian Council act of 1909 or the Morley Minto Reforms was passed. Lord Hardinge (1910 – 1916) : Held a durbar in December, 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V. Partition of Bengal was cancelled (1911), capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi (1911). A bomb was thrown at him; but he escaped unhurt (December 23, 1912).

Gandhiji came back to India from South Africa (1915). Annie Besant announced the Home Rule Movement. Lord Chelmsford (1916 – 1921) : August Declaration of 1917, whereby control over the Indian government would be gradually transferred to the Indian people. Rowlatt act of 1919; Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919). Non Cooperation Movement. An Indian Sir S.P.Sinha was appointed the Governor of Bengal. A Women’s university was founded at Poona in 1916. Saddler Commission was appointed in 1917 to envisage new educational policy. Lord Reading (1921 – 1926) : Rowlatt act was repeated along with the Press act of 1910. Suppressed non – cooperation movement. Prince of Wales visited India in November, 1921. Moplah rebellion (1921) took place in Kerala. Ahmedabad session of 1921. Vishwabharati University started functioning in 1922.

Communist part was founded in 1921 by M.N. Roy. Kakory Train Robbery on August 9, 1925. Communal riots of 1923 – 25 in Multan, Amritsar, Delhi, etc. Swami Shraddhanand, a great nationalist and a leader of the Arya Samajists, was murdered in communal orgy. Lord Irwin (1926 – 1931) : Simon Commission visited India in 1928. Congress passed the Indian Resolution in 1929. Dandi March (March 12, 1930). First Round Table Conference held in England in 1930. Gandhi Irwin Pact (March 5, 1931) was signed and Civil Disobediance Movement was withdrawn. Martydorm of Jatin Das after 64 days hunger strike (1929). Lord Willington (1931 – 1936) : Second Round Table conference in London in 1931.

On his return Gandhiji was again arrested and Civil Disobedience Movement was resumed in January, 1932. Communal Awards (August 16, 1932) assigned seats to different religious communities. Gandhiji went on a epic fast in protest against this division. Third Round Table conference in 1932. Poona Pact was signed. Government of India act (1935) was passed. Lord Linlithgow (1936 – 1944) : Government of India act enforced in the provinces. Congress ministries formed in 8 out of 11 provinces. They remained in power for about 2 years till October 1939, when they gave up offices on the issue of India having been dragged into the II World War. The Muslim League observed the days as ‘Deliverance Say’ (22 December) Churchill became the British PM in May, 1940. He declared that the Atlantic Charter (issued jointly by the UK and US, stating to give sovereign rights to those who have been forcibly deprived of them) does not apply to India. Outbreak of World War II in 1939.

Cripps Mission in 1942. Quit India Movement (August 8, 1942). Lord Wavell (1944 – 1947) : Arranged the Shimla Conference on June 25, 1945 with Indian National Congress and Muslim League; failed. Cabinet Mission Plan (May 16, 1946). Elections to the constituent assembly were held and an Interim Government was appointed under Nehru. First meeting of the constituent assembly was held on December 9, 1946. Lord Mountbatten (March 1947 – August 1947) : Last Viceroy of British India and the first Governor General of free India. Partition of India decided by the June 3 Plan. Indian Independence Act passed by the British parliament on July 4, 1947, by which India became independent on August 15, 1947. Retried in June 1948 and was succeeded by C.

Rajagopalachari (the first and the last Indian Governor General of free India) Related articles 40 thoughts on “British Viceroys in India” Abhishek says: November 14, 2012 at 1:53 pm Abhishek and pravar, It is not entirely (partially, yes) my work. I have copied some parts from magazines and some are my notes. but u at least provide important information even collecting and sharing information is something people don’t do.. A slight correction : Arms act disallowed Indians to hold Arms instead of “Arms act (1878) made it mandatory for Indians to acquire license for arms.” May 10, 2013 at 11:30 pm I think it would be better if you quote your source. In effect it meant that. However, if you read the terms of the Acts, then the government had to provide license if any one wants to acquire arms(Part IV, Section 13). So, it didn’t directly disallowed Indians to hold Arms but required everyone including Indians to acquire license of Arms.

It has clauses which gave the government the arbitrary power to decide when a person could be arrested without warrant and when the existing license is not valid or can be canceled. sir.we know that Calcutta,bombay ,madras high court was established on 1862. i read this from many books even wikipedia website ( )… but Lord Lawrence (1864 – 1869) :High Courts were established at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1865 my question is “who was the VICEROY OF INDIA when Calcutta,bombay ,madras high court established”??? sir please explain it…….

Repeated the Vernacular Press act (1882) it is wrong Lord Ripon Repealed Vernacular Press act September 28, 2014 at 3:21 pm THANX For This Wonderful Information it serves as a source of notes in a systematic manner for me as I am studying in 10th class in ICSE board of whose syllabus it is a part of September 28, 2014 at 4:09 pm I want to confirm a thing SIR In the book i am going through it is mentioned that Indians Arms Act was passed in 1879 instead of 1878(as per the information provided by this site) Discription of the book is — name-ICSE total history and civics author-DOLLY ELLEN SEQUEIRA,M.A.,B.Ed. Thank you so much sir. Awesome job! This helped me a lot.👍 Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Email (required) (Address never made public) Name (required) You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out / Change ) You are commenting using your Twitter account.

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in India was originally published by Palak Mathur at Palak Mathur on January 18, 2016. […] We are not makers of History January 18, 2016 We are not makers of history. We are made by history. ~ Martin Luther King Jr. We are not makers of History was originally published by Palak Mathur at Palak Mathur on January 18, 2016. Tolerance and Intolerance - Lack of Sense of Justice November 26, 2015 People keep saying that Aamir Khan is defaming the country. Really? Is speaking out ones mind means defaming the country? No. Not at all. No one is defaming the country. He is just speaking his mind out and questioning the reason for despondency which you might have not felt and he may have felt. Why anyone speaking his mind out, in case that opinion is no […] Feeling Lucky ? Lord Mountbatten Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline Leaders Lord Mountbatten Biography Lord Mountbatten was the last viceroy of the British Indian Empire and the first Governor-General of independent India.

Find more on the life and childhood of Lord Mountbatten in this brief biography. Quick Facts Last Viceroy of British India and Governor-General of Independent India Nationality Mullaghmore, County Sligo, Republic of Ireland father Princess Alice of Battenberg, Louise Mountbatten, George Mountbatten Spouse/Partner: Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Lady Pamela Hicks education Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Order of Merit Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Distinguished Service Order Image Credit A British statesman and naval officer, Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten was a man of honor. Born with the title His Serene Highness Prince Louis of Battenburg in the international royal family background, he went on to become Lord Louis Mountbatten. Over his life, he held the titles of The Right Honourable The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma and The Earl Mountbatten of Burma. Informally known as Lord Mountbatten, he achieved great heights during his life.

Mountbattenâs career involved extensive naval commands, the diplomatic negotiation of independence for India and Pakistan, and the highest military defence leaderships. Initially starting off as an officer cadet in the Royal Navy, through his intense hard work, dedication and commitment, he raised on to the most coveted position of the British Royal Navy, Admiral of the Fleet. Other than his service at the Navy, Lord Mountbatten assisted in the Britainâs exit from India and the latterâs emergence as one of the independent nations of the world. For the same, Lord Mountbatten was made the last Viceroy of British India and later held the chair of the Governor General of independent India, being the first to do so. For his exceptional contribution in the Royal Navy, Lord Mountbatten was honoured and decorated by British and other countries of the world. Childhood & Early Life Born to Prince Louis of Battenberg and his wife Princess Victoria of Hesse, Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten was the youngest of the four children of the couple. He had two sisters, Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Queen Louise of Sweden and a brother George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven.

Since his birth, he was popularly known by the title His Serene Highness Prince Louis of Battenberg. Mountbatten received his education at home for the first ten years of his life after which he was sent to Lockers Park School in Hertfordshire. Thereafter, he shifted to the Royal Naval College, Osborne in 1913. Formative Years After completing his education, Mountbatten joined the Royal Navy in 1916. He served on-board theâ HMS Lionâ and âHMS Elizabethâ. At the end of the First World War in 1919, Mountbatten was promoted to sub-lieutenant and attended Christ College, Cambridge where he took a course in engineering. In 1920, he was promoted to the Lieutenant posted to the battle cruiser âHMS Renownâ. For his immense capability and hard work, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1920. Following year, he was transferred to âHMS Repulseâ and accompanied Prince Edward on the latterâs tour to India and Japan.

Amidst his naval career, Mountbatten did not let go of his education. He enrolled himself at the Portsmouth Signals School in 1924 to pursue his interest in technological development and gadgetry. Thereafter, he studied electronics at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. He also enlisted himself as a Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Mountbatten served as the Assistant Fleet Wireless and Signals Officer of the Mediterranean Fleet for the battleship âHMS Centurionâ in 1926. Two years henceforth, he was promoted to the position of a Lieutenant-Commander. In December 1932, he was promoted as a Commander and was posted to the battleship âHMS Resolutionâ. Mountbattenâs first command posting was to the destroyer âHMS Daringâ in 1934. In 1937, he was promoted to the rank of Captain. Role in the Second World War In June 1939, Mountbatten was given the command of the battleship Kelly. During Second World War as commander of the âHMS Kellyâ he successfully executed several daring operations.

He was also part of the Norwegian campaign. During the war Kelly suffered a lot of wreckage and was finally sunk deep into the water by German dive bombers off the coast of Crete on 23 May 1941. In 1941, he was appointed captain of an aircraft carrier 'HMS Illustrious'. Since he was the blue-eyed boy of Winston Churchill, he achieved success early in life and rose to important positions and ranks. By the October of 1941, Mountbatten replaced Roger Keyes as Chief of Combined Operations and was promoted to the rank of Commodore. His profile included planning commando raids across the English Channel and inventing new technical aids to assist with opposed landings. Mountbatten also had an important role to play in the disastrous Dieppe Raid in 1942, which caused casualties in great numbers and made Mountbatten a controversial figure among the Canadians.

Apart from this failure, Mountbatten had quite a remarkable technical achievements, These include: the construction of an underwater oil pipeline from the English coast to Normandy, an artificial harbour constructed of concrete caissons and sunken ships, and the development of amphibious tank-landing ships In 1943, Mountbatten was appointed Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command (SEAC). Working along with General William Slim, he directed the summoning up of Burma and Singapore from the Japanese. The SEAC was disbanded in 1946 after which Mountbatten returned home with a rear-admiral rank by his side. Role in India In 1947, Mountbatten was appointed as the Viceroy of India. He mainly administered the British withdrawal from India with minimal reputation damage and the transition from British India to independent states of India and Pakistan. Though Mountbatten emphasized on the united, independent India, he could not influence Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who demanded a separate Muslim state of Pakistan, despite being aware of the difficulties that would arise while meeting the demands.

Unable to sway away Jinnah from his modus operandi of a separate Muslim state, Mountbatten adapted himself to the changing situation and concluded that his vision for a united India was an unachievable dream. He then resigned himself to a plan for partition, creating the independent nations of India and Pakistan. He worked towards setting a fixed date for the transfer of power from British India to the Indians. At the stroke of midnight on August 14-15, 1947, India and Pakistan attained independence. While most of the British officers evacuated the country, Mountbatten remained in New Delhi, the capital of independent India and served as the countryâs first Governor General for ten months until June 1948. Later Years Mountbatten resumed his naval services in 1949. He served as the commander of the 1st cruiser squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet, after which he was promoted as the Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet in April 1950. Same year, Mountbatten became the Fourth Sea Lord at the Admiralty. In 1952, he was made the Commander-in-Chief for the Mediterranean Fleet and later on promoted to the ranks of full admiral.

From 1955-59, Mountbatten served as the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff at the Admiralty. In his last years, Lord Mountbatten served as chief of the United Kingdom Defence Staff and chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee from 1959 to 1965. During his term as the Chief of Defence, Mountbatten was able to consolidate the three service departments of the military branch into a single Ministry of Defence. He became Governor Of the Isle of Wight in 1965 and then Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight in 1974.

From 1967 until 1978, Mountbatten served as the president of the United World Colleges Organisation Awards & Achievements Lord Mountbatten, in his life, was lauded with a long list of medals including British War Medal, Victory Medal, Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Burma Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, War Medal, Naval General Service Medal, King Edward VII Coronation Medal, King George V Coronation Medal, King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, King George VI Coronation Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal and Indian Independence Medal Different countries across the globe recognized the contribution of Lord Mountbatten and decorated him with numerous titles. While Spain honoured him with the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, Romania presented the Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown and Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania. Greece decorated him with a War Cross and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of George I title. America bestowed upon Mountbatten the Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Service Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and Bronze Star Medal.

On the other hand, China decorated him with the Special Grand Cordon of the Order of the Cloud and Banner. For his merited contribution, France honoured him with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour and War Cross title. Other countries and their honors include Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of Nepal (Nepal), Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Elephant (Thailand), Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (Netherlands), Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Aviz (Portugal), Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim (Sweden), Grand Commander of the Order of Thiri Thudhamma (Burma), Grand Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog (Denmark), Grand Cross of the Order of the Seal of Solomon (Ethiopian) and Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland) Personal Life & Legacy Mountbatten tied the nuptial knot with Edwina Cynthia Annette Ashley, daughter of Wilfred William Ashley on July 18, 1922.

The two shared a cordial relationship and were blessed with two children, both daughters, Lady Patricia Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, sometime lady-in-waiting to the Queen, and Lady Pamela Carmen Louise (Hicks) sometime lady-in-waiting to the Queen. Since Mountbatten had no male heir, he created Viscount Mountbatten of Burma of Romsey in the County of Southampton and Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Baron Romsey in the County of Southampton, according to which since he left no sons or issue in the male line, the titles could pass to his daughters, in order of seniority of birth, and to their heirs, male respectively. On 27 August 1979, Mountbatten was assassinated by IRA, while he was holidaying at his summer home in Mullaghmore, County Sligo. In 1984, Lord Mountbattenâs eldest daughter initiated the Mountbatten Internship Programme in his memory. It was developed to allow young adults the opportunity to enhance their intercultural appreciation and experience by spending time abroad.

Trivia Not many know that the first Earl Mountbatten of Burma shared an intense liking for polo as like many other members of the royal family. In his lifetime, he even received U.S. patent 1,993,334 in 1931 for a polo stick. He not only introduced the game to the Royal Navy but is also known to have written a book on it. During his visit to the Imperial Court of Russia at St Petersburg, he became intimate with the doomed Russian Imperial Family, harbouring romantic feelings towards Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna. He kept her photograph at his bedside for the rest of his life. Due to the anti-German sentiments which strongly emerged after the First World War, his Royal family stopped using their German names and titles and adopted British names and titles. As such, Battenburg turned to Mountbatten. His nickname, Dickie was given by his great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who suggested that his former nickname Nicky was common as many of the youngsters in the Russian Imperial family shared that nickname. He was made the Viceroy of India and was in-charge with the transition of power from British India to the newly independent states of India and Pakistan.

He went on to become the first Governor General of India. From 1954 until 1959, he was the First Sea Lord, a position that had been held by his father, Prince Louis of Battenberg, some forty years ago. The duo created history in the Royal Navy by being the only father-son pair to attain such high ranks. Top 10 Facts You Did Not Know About Lord Mountbatten Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, is Lord Mountbattenâs grand-nephew and the two had a close relationship. Notorious for having numerous affairs over the course of his marriage, he was also rumored to have a sexual interest in men. His wife Edwina Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru were said to be deeply in love, fuelling talks of an affair. Mountbatten tried to persuade Jinnah of a united India before the partition but was unsuccessful. He was granted a patent for a system for maintaining a warship in a fixed position relative to another ship in 1939. The date of Indiaâs independence was chosen to satisfy Mountbattenâs vanity.

He chose 15 August 1947 because it was the second anniversary of Japanâs surrender. Along with Gandhi and Nehru, he was also cheered on for the ceremonies relating to the transfer of power on 15 August 1947! Mountbatten remained in New Delhi for ten months after India had achieved independence while most of the other British officers had returned to England. In 1969, he participated in a 12-part autobiographical television series âLord Mountbatten: A Man for the Centuryâ. He was the first member of the Royal Family to appear on the TV guest show âThis Is Your Lifeâ. Translate this page to Spanish, French, Hindi, Portuguese People Also Viewed Last Viceroy of India - Lord Mountbatten - First Governor General of Independent India Colors of India : Interesting Facts : History : Last Viceroy of India Last Viceroy of India Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India. Mountbatten was appointed Viceroy of India in 1947 and he oversaw the creation of the independent states of India and Pakistan.

After India's independence on 15 August 1947, the title of Viceroy was abolished and was converted into Governor General. Thus Lord Mountbatten became the first Governor General of independent India. Lord Mountbatten was born in Windsor, England, on 25th June, 1900. His father, Prince Louis of Battenberg, had been born in Austria. As a result of the anti-German feelings in Britain during the First World War the family changed its name from Battenberg to Mountbatten. Lord Mountbatten joined Royal Navy and in the Second World War he commanded the 5th Destroyer Flotilla. After his term in India, Mountbatten returned to service at sea and as Fourth sea Lord was commander of the Mediterranean Fleet (1952-55). He was also First Sea Lord (1955-59) and Chief of Defence Staff (1959-65). Lord Mountbatten was murdered by an IRA bomb while sailing near his holiday home in County Sligo, Ireland, on 27th August, 1979.

The last viceroy You are here: Home » Supplements » Sunday Herald » The last viceroy The last viceroy Aug 11, 2013 : Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India, is often described as the man who freed and divided India. With Independence Day around the corner, Salil Misra attempts to decipher the role he played in India’s independence and partition. In many ways, the Viceroyalty of Mountbatten was unusual and unique. He was the last viceroy who came to India and served as the British representative for the shortest duration, from March 22 to August 15, 1947. Yet it was during his term that the two most monumental decisions were taken with huge consequences for Indian society and politics — independence and partition. What role did Mountbatten play in each of these events? Was he the prime mover or even a catalyst? Or, was he simply an observer, albeit an important one, in the inevitable unfolding of historical events? In other words, did he take the initiative in pushing India towards independence and partition?

Or, was he simply a ‘bird in a storm’ unable to resist the flow of the storm and simply flowing with the tide? Did he make his choices, or was he served with a fait accompli? The answers to these questions obviously vary. What is, however, undeniable is that as India’s last viceroy, it was given to Mountbatten to take the most important decisions regarding India’s future. It is also ironical that the British became the most important actors in Indian politics at a time when their leaving had become a certainty. They took the most important decisions on Indian politics, with tremendous long-term consequences, in their capacity as rulers about to abdicate power and go back to their home country. What is history’s verdict on Mountbatten’s role? Did he write the script or simply implement the script already written? There is evidence to suggest that the truth is somewhere in between. It is true that by around 1946, well before Mountbatten arrived in India, the British had given up all hopes of being able to hold on to India, the most precious jewel in the British crown. The entire edifice of the British rule had been sustained by two pillars — administrative and politico-ideological.

The administrative pillars consisted of the army, bureaucracy and the police. The politico-ideological pillars consisted of prominent Indians — the princes and the big landlords among others — who provided the ideological support to British rule. In other words, Indians had played an important role in sustaining the British rule. By 1946, these pillars had collapsed and it had become impossible for the British to continue ruling India without an alternative support system. The question was not whether, but when and on what terms, the British would leave. It is important to recognise that the decision to leave India had been taken before Mountbatten took over as the viceroy. In fact, Mountbatten was chosen as viceroy precisely because he was considered suitable for the task of negotiating India’s independence. Fully aware that their days in India were over, the British still wanted to maintain the illusion that independence was merely the result of a gradual process of transfer of power to Indians that had been initiated by the British since many decades. Indian freedom had to be projected as granted by the British rather than wrested by Indians. Mountbatten’s task was to perpetuate this myth of British ‘granted’ transfer of power while negotiating independence with Indians.

So when Mountbatten arrived in India, he carried a clear mandate that power was to be transferred to India. There was no doubt or dispute on this. The only dispute was — power to whom? To one central government, or to provincial governments, or to some other agencies? The British Government had made a declaration of a transfer of power to Indians by June 1948, prior to Mountbatten’s arrival. But the declaration was vague on how and to whom this power was to be transferred. It was here that Mountbatten came to play an extremely important role. Upon his arrival, Mountbatten inherited a situation that was far from being conducive for smooth political negotiations. Lord Wavell, his predecessor, had implemented the Cabinet Mission Plan in 1946 and put in place an Interim Government consisting of Congress and Muslim League leaders. Given the irreconcilable differences between the two, the Interim Government could not function at all and remained a non-starter. The Cabinet Mission Plan was projected as a possible solution to the problem of partition, but the Plan itself became a problem, requiring a solution. This was not all.

During 1946-47, India came closer than ever before to a civil-war-like situation. The violence between Hindus and Muslims threatened to tear apart the entire social fabric of Indian society. The violence started with Bengal in August 1946 and soon reached Bihar, Bombay, UP, and eventually Punjab, where it was most brutal and vicious. The important thing about this violence was that it affected the politics of the times in a most decisive manner. The important political questions of the day could not remain untouched from the orgy of violence that engulfed the country. The major political decisions were taken in the light of this violence. Climate of unrest The communal violence suited the politics of Muslim League very well. Muslim League, under Jinnah’s leadership, had been demanding Pakistan since 1940 as a separate nation-state of Indian Muslims on the ground that Hindus and Muslims could not live together in peace. The violence appeared to validate these claims. The violence also made Congress leaders rethink their commitment to a united India. The British, at this stage, were not too keen on the partition of India. But they were also not very committed to the idea of a united India.

They would certainly not go out of their way to maintain the unity of the country. If they were going to leave India anyway, what difference did it make whether they left behind one country or two? It was in this political climate that Mountbatten landed in India. The first thing he did was to write to the main Indian leaders — Gandhi, Jinnah and Nehru — inviting them separately for talks. Gandhi was the first to reply: “I dare not resist your kind call.” Gandhi came to Delhi on March 31, 1947 and met Mountbatten every day until April 4. Gandhi knew that freedom was coming for sure and therefore focused all his energy on trying to avert the partition. He even went to the extent of suggesting that Jinnah could be given the power to choose his own cabinet in the Interim Government that would govern the country. If this did not work, Gandhi suggested that Mountbatten should insist on the existing Interim Government to go on working for the next 14 months and then hand over power to it before finally leaving. Gandhi even suggested that Mountbatten could also continue staying on in India as the head of an Indian government.

Mountbatten was genuinely surprised by Gandhi’s proposal and thought it was completely impractical. Impractical it was, but it does show Gandhi’s extreme anxiety and his utmost desire to go to any extent to avoid the partition. Fully convinced that just about anything — from anarchy to a civil war — was better than partition, Gandhi was willing to contemplate any scheme that could possibly prevent the partition. Earlier in 1944, Gandhi had tried to persuade Jinnah about the same thing but without any success. Knowing that he had exhausted all possibilities with Jinnah, Gandhi was now working with Mountbatten to avoid the partition. After Gandhi, Jinnah was the next Indian leader Mountbatten met. Mountbatten wrote in his report: “In complete contrast to Mahatma Gandhi’s charm and friendliness, Jinnah was, when he arrived, in a most frigid, haughty and disdainful frame of mind.” But he also knew that Jinnah was the “man who held the key to the whole situation”. Their conversation continued from April 5 to April 10, 1947.

Jinnah was categorical and uncompromising that “India had now passed beyond the stage at which any compromise solution could possibly work.” BBC - History - Historic Figures: Lord Louis Mountbatten (1900 - 1979) z Lord Louis Mountbatten © Mountbatten was a British naval officer who oversaw the defeat of the Japanese offensive towards India during World War Two. He was appointed the last viceroy of British India and first governor general of independent India. Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten was born in Windsor on 25 June 1900. A German aristocrat, as the son of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse, he also shared close links with the British royal family (his great grandmother was Queen Victoria and he himself was uncle to Prince Philip). Mountbatten's father was first sea lord at the outbreak of World War One, but anti-German feeling forced his resignation. In 1917, the family changed their name from Battenberg to the less-Germanic sounding Mountbatten.

Mountbatten, known as 'Dickie' to family and close friends, was educated mainly at home until 1914 when he went to the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. He joined the Royal Navy in 1916 and saw action in World War One, then briefly attended Cambridge University for a year after the war. Mountbatten spent the inter-war period pursuing his naval career, where he specialised in communications. In 1934, he received his first command on the destroyer, HMS 'Daring'. In June 1939, shortly before the outbreak of war, Mountbatten gained command of a flotilla of destroyers which saw considerable action in the Mediterranean. In May 1941, his ship HMS 'Kelly' was sunk by German dive bombers off the coast of Crete with the loss of more than half the crew. 'Kelly' and her captain were later immortalised in Noel Coward's film 'In Which We Serve'. In April 1942, Mountbatten was appointed chief of combined operations, with responsibility for the preparation of the eventual invasion of occupied Europe.

In the meantime, he organised raids against Europe's coastline, overseeing the disastrous Dieppe raid of August 1942. In October 1943, he became the supreme allied commander, South East Asia Command (SEAC), a position he held until 1946. Working with General William Slim, Mountbatten achieved the defeat of the Japanese offensive towards India and the reconquest of Burma. In September 1945, he received the Japanese surrender at Singapore. In March 1947, Mountbatten became viceroy of India with a mandate to oversee the British withdrawal. He established good relations with leading politicians, particularly with Jawaharlal Nehru, but was unable to persuade the Muslim leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah of the benefits of a united, independent India. Mountbatten soon gave up hope of a united country and on 14-15 August 1947, British India was partitioned into the new states of India and Pakistan. This resulted in widespread inter-communal violence, particularly in the Punjab, which now sat in East India, and West Pakistan.

There were huge population movements as 3.5 million Hindus and Sikhs fled from the areas that had become Pakistan and around five million Muslims migrated to Pakistan. Mountbatten remained as interim governor-general of India until June 1948. For his services during the war and in India he was created viscount in 1946 and Earl Mountbatten of Burma the following year. In 1953, Mountbatten returned to the Royal Navy, becoming commander of a new NATO Mediterranean command. Then in 1954 he was appointed first sea lord, a position which had been held by his father more than 40 years before. Finally, in 1959, he became chief of the defence staff, then in 1965 he retired from the navy. On 27 August 1979, Mountbatten was murdered when IRA terrorists blew up his boat off the coast of County Sligo, Ireland, near his family holiday home at Classiebawn Castle. Two of Mountbatten's relations and a 15-year old local boy were also killed. Mountbatten's funeral took place in Westminster Abbey and he was buried at Romsey Abbey, near Broadlands.

He had no sons, which meant that Mountbatten's eldest daughter, Patricia, inherited his title. Critic Consensus: No consensus yet. Movie Info Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy was a 6-part British miniseries, first telecast in the US on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre. The series covers the years 1946 through 1947, during which time the British government granted independence to India. War hero Lord Mountbatten (Nicol Williamson), although considered a political lightweight, is appointed the task of overseeing the transition of power. It is the sort of test that separates the Lords from the boys: Mountbatten must not only unite the squabbling factions within India, but also counteract the rhetoric of Winston Churchill (Malcolm Terris), who is dead set against losing the Empire's "jewel of the crown." Once independence is officially granted, Mountbatten is challenged with open combat between the Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, as well as territorial demands from Pakistan and the Kashmir. Also appearing in this epic production is Sam Dastor as Gandhi, Ian Richardson as Nehru, and Vladek Sheybal as Jinnah.

Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy was first seen on Masterpiece Theatre from January 26 through March 2, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi Rating:

Question: Who was the last Viceroy of India
Answer: Lord Mountbatten